Over the past few months, I've noticed a lot of people in the pool wearing some sort of smart watch; whether that be Apple Watch, Google Pixel Watch or Fitbit.
Most user I have run into, have an Apple Watch, truth be told, even though I know quite a few who love their Android phone (out in the real world). I think I have come across more Apple users in my community, then there are other device users (some of the hip young kids are into the "Nothing" Phone or whatever is up and coming).
It's strange but it's probably generational that they are all accustomed to using the same type of device (they all hang out together and trade health problems). If they have a home computer, odds are, it is Windows based.
Yes, they also have iPads because they want a tablet and since they already have an iPhone, they want to also be able to have a bigger screen to "FaceTime" their grandkids. The catch is, if they still have a home computer, it's Microsoft. So they can't have things move between all environments and want to know why their apps aren't on the computer. Because it's two different things and the operating systems won't play together. Although, the truth is, they don't feel they need an expensive MacBook because Windows is dead simple to use and all they know the programs. Even though the iPad, iPhone and Watch probably cost as much as the MacBook, combined, when all was first purchased.
Can't win and can't talk them into anything otherwise.
Plainly because I'm a contradiction myself.
Personally, I'm using what is now considered a "Legacy Device": an Apple Watch series 3, with its stock band for my swimming watch. I was given a cousin's old Apple Watch series 6 when they upgraded to something newer, which means the series 6 is now my every day watch, to the point I've purchased some nice Velcro sports bands to go with it. I just need to invest in some more bumpers because I dumbly kept putting them on my series 3 and the pool was ruining them due to my trying to take the bumper off to clean the watch face. I need to replace the bumper on the 6 because it's getting too cloudy and scratched.
I have an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and I use a Hewlett Packard laptop. The laptop is 13 years old at this point, so it's a little worn (Windows 8.1). I grew up with Microsoft computers, whether that was an IBM machine running DOS or various other name brands running newer systems over the years. It's what I know, but I also am not afraid to admit I've had my hands on Apple computers before. I'm of the generation where we played Oregon Trail on both the Apple II and Commodore 64 in elementary school. I earned my fruit stripes by getting dysentery, thank you very much (The Commodore was rare; I think there was like 2 in the school and we always fought for it)!
Squirrel brain activated! Got to get back to the topic at hand.
I was trying to bring this up (the use of the watch) because it's interesting how everyone is literally attached to said time keeper, but they're not using it for the exercise apps that may or may not be included within their device's environment. They all seem to be using it to be able to check the time, see if they got a random text, or because they want to have a watch tan line (likely story 😜).
I can't speak for Android, but Apple has not only the Health app, but they have the Fitness app. Both talk to each other, so if you do some sort of workout in the Fitness app, it tells Health you've completed an activity. With the watch, you can open Fitness, scroll to the workout you want to do, and the timer starts and the app senses what you're doing. It can tell your heart rate, your movement, and will time you while you're involved in that particular exercise. The downfall is you only get credit for an exercise minute if your heart rate goes above a certain number (100 and something).
The standard goals in Fitness app are:
- 300 active calories (Move)
- 30 minutes (Exercise)
- 12 hours (Stand)
I've actually set my move goal to 500 but have kept everything else because I tend to do several hours in the gym. I go between the treadmill and elliptical, so I know I could achieve the 300 within the first hour I'm working out, should I pay enough attention to what I'm doing. Same goes for when I'm swimming; if I'm not just floating around and working on a pool shoe tan.
When I said there's a downfall for exercise credit, I meant that in the 30 minutes you're "exercising", if your heart rate falls below 100 and something, the app doesn't register that as exercising. You have to do a serious work out if you want to get full credit.
Example is, when I'm on the stationary bike, if I'm not pushing myself hard on it, my watch won't register I'm really working out. I can set the app up to show I'm riding for 30 minutes, but if my heart rate stays at (let's say) 95, then I don't get credit. Even though the bike screen says I've pedaled close to 5 miles, there's a definite disconnect somewhere. I've got to pedal hard and fast and start some sweating in order for the watch to know I'm doing something.
However, if I'm walking on the treadmill at a 3.0 pace and over the course of an hour, I bump it up to 4 so I can run, my watch senses I'm exerting myself a little more, so the effort ends up pushing both my move coal and exercise goal up higher. By the time I finish the hour, I've not only closed the exercise ring, I'm a few pushes away from closing the move ring. Which leads me to use the elliptical for an hour and I've now fully closed the move ring and gone more in the exercise ring. All because I've pushed myself on two machines.
Swimming is harder because I had to concentrate enough and do my laps. I can't sit there and talk to the people who just want to be there to run their mouth and tip toe walk the pool. When there are so many people in the morning wanting to get their social butterfly on, trying to go up and down the length of the pool is a little tricky because there are no lanes; it's a free for all and you're fighting for space with other swimmers.
I've squirreled again. Hope you're still with me.
My point in all of this is, the watch can see what you're doing if you're using it to count your exercising. I'm using my watch now, while I swim, and it's been trial and error for me because there are several swim options in the Fitness app. I was doing "open water" which I think is the ocean, and that drained the battery quickly, in the two hours I was in the water. There's the manual "swim" mode that you can trigger if you don't use the watch; you can manually put in what you've done. Then there's "pool swim", which is what I've been using lately. I set it for the stock 25 lap set, and it counts my arm movement as I go back and forth, so for so many yards or laps, I get some sort of credit.
I swear, this isn't an advertisement for Apple products or exercise equipment. But the above screen grabs are from my Fitness app today and what my month has looked like so far (aka the "sessions"). I'm trying to do as much as I can, to get into some sort of routine and be healthy, however sometimes, things don't want to go your way.
At any rate, I've seen people in the pool, just bopping along and doing their thing, and none of them seem to be using their watch to keep track of their exercising. No one taps their watch to start or stop the timer, turn the dial to unlock the water drop thing, or even compare strides as they walk their lap.
People seem disinterested in using their device for its full features and only have it as a show piece. Something to check the time real quick or if they got a text from a friend. In all the days I've been at the pool and have seen dozens of humans in the chlorinated H2O, I think I'm the only one actively using my watch for what else it can do.
One of the swimmers did ask me about it one day, but it didn't end well. The person is nearing 80, somewhat active (they not only walk the community in the morning.. which ends up being over a mile), they swim for 45 minutes afterwards. They had asked me about my watch and what I do with it, because they saw me dry it off one day when I was done in the water. I explained that I use the Fitness app to track my swim and it goes into my Health app. They said they know somehow their morning walk is in their Health, but they don't know how to use their watch to do any of that, and they're afraid to use the watch in the pool. I had said that I know the feeling about getting it wet, but also know that it's kind of safe to do, since I'm not completely submerging my arm in an ocean and I take care of the thing when I'm done. I'm not in the water for more than 2 hours, which I know is a lot as it is, but I am mindful of keeping track of what my watch looks and feels like.
As I said, certain things run the battery up quickly, so I am careful I don't abuse it.
The swimmer was still confused and concerned because she'd love to keep track of her laps, but is afraid of ruining the watch. I did ask the age of it, and she said it's not new; she's had it long enough, but doesn't want to damage it and end up with nothing. I completely understand that concept; if I didn't have the 6, I might be in the same boat as this woman, but also, knowing how the 3 is aged out, I would be due for an upgrade anyway. So I'd probably use it in the pool a little more sparingly than I currently am.
I explained all the reasoning behind it - what she can do with it; how the data can help her when she goes to her doctor, she can tailor the watch and the phone to suit her needs.
She was just too worried about breaking the watch to really concentrate on what I was saying. Again, I totally understand, and actually hoped someone else who regularly wears their watch everywhere, would have jumped in and said she's fine. There are people in the pool who abuse their watch - they wear it golfing, swimming, out shopping, sleeping... I think the only time it's not on their wrist, is when they're in the shower.
Overall, my whole thought process and question / reasoning is... if you're wearing a smart watch to use it for everything else, why leave it on while in the pool? What's the method behind this madness? It isn't doing you any favors by staying on your wrist while in the water because you're not keeping track of how you're doing in this "workout", much like you're not doing yourself a favor by leaving it off and by your towel. I can't wrap my head around it.
I mean, I can; I wasn't using my watch in the water for the longest time. I would manually put in the exercise into my Health app when I got home, because I was like that swimmer and afraid to get the thing wet. Now that I've tried it, it works and I still baby it when I'm using it. That's why I know I'm contradicting myself here.
It's just one of those things that I try to understand and can't. When the swimmers out of the pool and drying off, they're on their phones. So are the manually putting in what they did? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of turning on the Fitness app and having that do everything for you? Yes and no because they're not putting anything into the app. They're checking the email, their texts, the store circulars online. I don't think any effort is made into checking the Health app.
I could be wrong and I would love to know what everyone else is doing. It's not me being nosy more so it's being inquisitive and asking the obviously wrong questions.
Until I can figure out how to stop rambling about totally useless things and feel like I'm circling the drain with this, stay healthy and sane, y'all.
Cheers;
And thanks for sticking with me this long.
See also
- Apple Watch via Amazon
- Google Pixel Watch via Amazon
- Fitbit via Amazon
- Nothing products via Amazon
- 6 Pack Sport Nylon Loop Band Compatible with Apple Watch Band 38mm 40mm 41mm 42mm 44mm 45mm 46mm 49mm via Amazon.
- The title was longer, but this is what I'm using and has worked. I don't know how it fits all those sizes; I didn't ask. I know it fits the 40mm which is what the 6 is, but I haven't tried it on the series 3, which is a 38mm. I've too many other bands for that, and didn't want to waste it on it.
- Apple Watch bumper via Amazon.
- I've tried the hard plastic ones that just slip over the watch (snaps on), but found they get caught weirdly and end up slipping off my watch if I'm not careful. Since they just pop on, they usually end up popping off. Conversely, there are ones you've got to fiddle with to get it all around the watch (literally cocooning it), that seem to work better. But again, the more you try to take off the bumper and put it back on, the more flimsy the wrap is around where the watch band goes into the watch, so the more that the plastic will wear and snap off. It's a double edge sword, but honestly, I find it works better for my needs.
- Example of bumpers:
- Hard case snap on bumper
- Soft flexible all around bumper
- You also need to make sure it has a screen protector because some don't and the whole point is to have the entire watch not get beat up. That's also my preference too.. make sure it stays good. I'm clumsy, so I'd rather pay for the whole protection than need to buy a new watch.
